Southwestern Sales Talk
Just before I began my first summer with The Southwestern Company, I had the opportunity to meet Anthony Burgess when he came to our campus. Who is Anthony Burgess you ask? He is my favorite British author, most famous for writing A Clockwork Orange, later made into a movie by Stanley Kubrick. (Assignment: go attempt to read this short novel–it’s brilliant and violent–all written in nadsat–a teen slang with Russian roots that Burgess created.) His novel took just two weeks to write.
OK, enough literary background. This is a sales blog. Right.
I had lunch with him and some other grad students, then had the good fortune to hear Mr. Burgess give a lecture that night. It was called “The Author’s Daily Damnation.” Intriguing title! What did Mr. Burgess discuss? How authors need daily discipline–how they need to write, regardless of how inspired they feel! How they need to plant their rear ends in the chair and crank out a minimum of a few pages a day–even if it’s not great material. In short, he was, in Southwestern parlance, citing the value of “30 demos a day” or “putting in the hours.”
Burgess stressed how, as an author, you worked, you wrote, you typed, every day. Your inspiration, your creativity, listening for your muse–were all secondary to the task of sitting down and working. (He also proposed that part of the author’s daily damnation was to become famous for your worst work–in this case for his Clockwork novel, but again that’s for another literary blog.)
So, my sales droogs, think about your daily disciplines–those activities which determine your success as a salesperson. Are you motivated to make calls? To approach people? To conduct info sessions? I welcome your thoughts.
Lee!
Brilliant! Stephen King says the same thing in his book, “On Writing”. He writes a minimum amount each and every day.
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That`s a great post!
If we think about it, it`s probably like that in every field. In order to be good at somehing, I remember we need to put 10 000 hours into practicing it and that definitely means it won`t happen overnight!
So if you put some minutes, 1 hour every day it will eventually happen someday! And I honestly think it doesn`t matter what you do for living and how talaneted you are in that chosen area, it`s all about the discipline to work hard even in the moments when you hardly want to get out of bed.
On motivation – when I don`t feel like doing phone approach, calls, approaches, etc. I IMAGINE the result of not doing it, feel it – obviously don`t like it and get back to work!
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Wow Lee. You really do know people. Just recently watched the movie. This is really great to know, because I always thought of authors as people who were the very opposite to schedule (Drinking and sleeping until noon and then doing the same stuff over again).
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 3rd, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Hans: although the movie was good, the book was, as usual, much richer. You should read it sometime. Lots of Russian root words he used to create the teen slang: nadsat. Thanks for the comment!
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You know so many people!!!!!
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 6th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
Ah yes, I love hobnobbing with the literari…. Thanks for the comment, Scott!
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it so true CRYSTALLIZING your goals!!!!!
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 6th, 2010 at 11:13 pm
Thanks for the comment, Shaina. Keep reading!
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It’s true too for when i write music
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 6th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
There is discipline involved in any creative act. True that, Ryan!
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Lee, I’m sure you feel the same way about this blog sometimes, huh?
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 6th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
What empathy! Yes, but it’s more like a weekly damnation…
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Lee
That is so simple but makes such a difference in so many people’s lives!
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 6th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
Brian: thanks for joining the ranks of the Commenters!
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Lee, it was great to finally meet you this weekend! (If you remember, I told you you were my favorite person, though you probably get that a lot.) You’re an awesome motivator. This blog is universal, and I’ll take the advice for school as well as SW. Thanks!
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 8th, 2010 at 5:10 pm
Thanks, Charlotte! Actually people always tell me Dan is their favorite person…you’re the first, so I like you best. Anyway, thanks for visiting–and reading–the blogs. Be sure to subscribe!
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Thanks Lee for a great book recomendation. I recently just finished a book, and was looking for a new one!
Thanks again,
Maggie Mulvaney
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 9th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
Gear up Maggie! This is not a quick read.
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I completely agree. This is something that can be tied into any aspect of life – relationships, religious beliefs, schoolwork, etc.
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 9th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Meaghan–nice to meet you at the meeting. Thanks for reading & commenting! You are a winner.
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Perfect example of simple and effective success principle, Lee! You’re also right when saying it’s a great book! I would say that it is a good example of how something can seem awkward at first and get better as it goes. In that, I’m referring to the slang language he writes — I had the hardest time with it at first!
Thanks for the insight, Lee!
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 9th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
When we talk next, we can speak in nadsat. Thanks for the comment Patrick!
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Logan G Reply:
March 25th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Any good milkbars in TN?
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 25th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
None that I frequent, my droog….
This is great reading Lee, always nice to have some food for thought in between followups. By the way, did I tell you I watched the movie sitting next to Malcolm McDowell (protagonist) at the Traverse City Film Festival during my second summer at a 10 o’clock show, after a customer I had that day told me about it and sold me his ticket because he knew I wouldn’t drive into town (schedule is my life-line lol) to get one of my own. That was pretty cool…
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 9th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
If you watched next to Malcolm McDowall, I want your autograph! You are cool.
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It’s so true–no matter what you do, you have to work at it. I read from a couple different places that it takes ten years, or 10,000 hours, of intense practice in order to become an expert. So no matter how good you are, if you haven’t been at it for ten years, you can definitely be better–and you can be better even if you have!
And I’ll definitely take a look at the book. I love books!
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 11th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Get ready to strap on your brain, Jaselyn; you need to learn a new slang language to get it. Hang it there and thanks for the comment!
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That’s perfect Lee. I can totally relate that to working out. You need to put in the initial time to see results in the end and then need to keep going in order not to lose those results.
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Lee: Your insight about things reminds me of my SW Sales Manager, J.T. Olson, of the Elite Eagles Organization. He was a good motivator too! Thanks for the pick up and for reminding me that in order for me to be a good architect, I must practice the Art of Architecture everyday! Keep up the good work that you are doing every week with this blog!
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 15th, 2010 at 10:57 am
Mark: thanks for the comment–the Art of Architecture…tell us more about that. It sounds interesting.
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I used to do that with Super Smash Bros Melee. Disciplined myself to practice my tech skill at least half an hour every day, whether a tournament was coming up or not. Can I be cool now too?
Now I listen to advanced sales every day and practice my talk at least once. That’s why ima hit mah gooowwwwlsssss!!
I will read the book and watch the movie ASAP. Any other good suggestions?
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Lee McCroskey Reply:
March 30th, 2010 at 9:43 am
I will try to work some more literary suggestions into my blogs…thanks for the comments!
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